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Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery #5
The Lady from Burma
In Allison Montclair's The Lady from Burma, murder once again stalks the proprietors of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau in the surprisingly dangerous landscape of post-World War II London…
In the immediate post-war days of London, two unlikely partners have undertaken an even more unlikely, if necessary, business venture - The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. The two partners are Miss Iris Sparks, a woman with a dangerous - and never discussed - past in British intelligence and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a war widow with a young son entangled in a complicated aristocratic family. Mostly their clients are people trying to start (or restart) their lives in this much-changed world, but their new client is something different. A happily married woman has come to them to find a new wife for her husband. Dying of cancer, she wants the two to make sure her entomologist, academic husband finds someone new once she passes.
Shortly thereafter, she's found dead in Epping Forest, in what appears to be a suicide. But that doesn't make sense to either Sparks or Bainbridge. At the same time, Bainbridge is attempting to regain legal control of her life, opposed by the conservator who has been managing her assets - perhaps not always in her best interest. When that conservator is found dead, Bainbridge herself is one of the prime suspects. Attempting to make sense of two deaths at once, to protect themselves and their clients, the redoubtable owners of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau are once again on the case.
In the immediate post-war days of London, two unlikely partners have undertaken an even more unlikely, if necessary, business venture - The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. The two partners are Miss Iris Sparks, a woman with a dangerous - and never discussed - past in British intelligence and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a war widow with a young son entangled in a complicated aristocratic family. Mostly their clients are people trying to start (or restart) their lives in this much-changed world, but their new client is something different. A happily married woman has come to them to find a new wife for her husband. Dying of cancer, she wants the two to make sure her entomologist, academic husband finds someone new once she passes.
Shortly thereafter, she's found dead in Epping Forest, in what appears to be a suicide. But that doesn't make sense to either Sparks or Bainbridge. At the same time, Bainbridge is attempting to regain legal control of her life, opposed by the conservator who has been managing her assets - perhaps not always in her best interest. When that conservator is found dead, Bainbridge herself is one of the prime suspects. Attempting to make sense of two deaths at once, to protect themselves and their clients, the redoubtable owners of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau are once again on the case.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 25, 2023
About the author
Allison Montclair
12 books464 followersALLISON MONTCLAIR grew up devouring hand-me-down Agatha Christie paperbacks and James Bond movies. As a result of this deplorable upbringing, Montclair became addicted to tales of crime, intrigue, and espionage. She now spends her spare time poking through the corners, nooks, and crannies of history, searching for the odd mysterious bits and transforming them into novels of her own. The Right Sort of Man is her debut novel.
Allison Montclair is a pseudonym of Alan Gordon.
Allison Montclair is a pseudonym of Alan Gordon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews
July 21, 2023
Those Detective ladies!—Rip roaring adventure once again!
I’m on tenterhooks the whole time I read an Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge novel. The ‘Lady from Burma’ was no exception.
A client whose suffering from cancer seeks the help of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Mrs. Adela Remagen wants to make a booking for her husband for use after her death. But apparently she now seems to have suicided out of London in Epping Forest, Essex County.
Meanwhile Gwen has being invited to a Bainbridge board meeting as an observer and seems to be running afoul of her lunacy guardian.
Gwen’s courtcase to remove the lunacy clause doesn’t go according to plan.
And that’s just the beginning. I can say no more without revealing too much.
Suffice to say there’s a great deal of dirty work coming at the ladies from more than one direction
A page turner indeed!
A St. Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
I’m on tenterhooks the whole time I read an Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge novel. The ‘Lady from Burma’ was no exception.
A client whose suffering from cancer seeks the help of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Mrs. Adela Remagen wants to make a booking for her husband for use after her death. But apparently she now seems to have suicided out of London in Epping Forest, Essex County.
Meanwhile Gwen has being invited to a Bainbridge board meeting as an observer and seems to be running afoul of her lunacy guardian.
Gwen’s courtcase to remove the lunacy clause doesn’t go according to plan.
And that’s just the beginning. I can say no more without revealing too much.
Suffice to say there’s a great deal of dirty work coming at the ladies from more than one direction
A page turner indeed!
A St. Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
August 15, 2023
If you like stories of friendship, a bit of light romance and a whodunit taking place immediately after WWII, start with The Right Sort of Man.
Grab yourself a cuppa, find a comfortable chair and enter the world of Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwen Bainbridge. Now I just have to wait until July of 2024 for Murder at the White Palace. Sigh.
Grab yourself a cuppa, find a comfortable chair and enter the world of Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwen Bainbridge. Now I just have to wait until July of 2024 for Murder at the White Palace. Sigh.
September 4, 2023
This latest entry in the series about Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge is the best one to date. One of the many reasons is that their match-making business, The Right Sort Marriage Bureau, plays an essential part in the mystery plot.
It is late autumn 1946. Gwen and Iris have had several months of mundane business, with occasional spikes of mayhem since we first met them in The Right Sort of Man. Both are hoping for peace and good business, especially Gwen, who has a very importance court hearing coming up soon. She's on pins and needles--a successful outcome will find her finally free to run her own life.
One of their new clients is Adela Remagen, the wife of a noted entomologist. Mrs. Remagen is dying of cancer and wants to hire the Right Sort to find her husband a new wife after her death. Gwen and Iris are taken aback at first, but soon figure out a way for this to be done, discretely, and with her husband being unaware of her plans until after her death.
The book's quiet tone soon gives way to excitement--the wrong kind of excitement. Mrs. Remagen is found dead, an apparent suicide, just about the time Gwen's court case takes a disastrous turn. To top things off, Gwen's financial guardian is found murdered hours after he was seen in court. The police's number one suspect is Gwen herself.
We are along for the ride as Iris and Gwen work to keep their heads above water. They are aided by the charming (and smart) young constable Hugh Quinton, who has doubts about Mrs. Remagen's death.
He also takes a shine to Iris, which is fun to watch.
There's a lot going, but the author manages to tie all the threads together and give us a very satisfactory ending.
I will have a hard time waiting for the next book. I wonder what the author has in store for Iris and Gwen? I have many, many theories... and I'm probably wrong in all of them!
It is late autumn 1946. Gwen and Iris have had several months of mundane business, with occasional spikes of mayhem since we first met them in The Right Sort of Man. Both are hoping for peace and good business, especially Gwen, who has a very importance court hearing coming up soon. She's on pins and needles--a successful outcome will find her finally free to run her own life.
One of their new clients is Adela Remagen, the wife of a noted entomologist. Mrs. Remagen is dying of cancer and wants to hire the Right Sort to find her husband a new wife after her death. Gwen and Iris are taken aback at first, but soon figure out a way for this to be done, discretely, and with her husband being unaware of her plans until after her death.
The book's quiet tone soon gives way to excitement--the wrong kind of excitement. Mrs. Remagen is found dead, an apparent suicide, just about the time Gwen's court case takes a disastrous turn. To top things off, Gwen's financial guardian is found murdered hours after he was seen in court. The police's number one suspect is Gwen herself.
We are along for the ride as Iris and Gwen work to keep their heads above water. They are aided by the charming (and smart) young constable Hugh Quinton, who has doubts about Mrs. Remagen's death.
He also takes a shine to Iris, which is fun to watch.
There's a lot going, but the author manages to tie all the threads together and give us a very satisfactory ending.
I will have a hard time waiting for the next book. I wonder what the author has in store for Iris and Gwen? I have many, many theories... and I'm probably wrong in all of them!
July 26, 2023
Don't mind me, I am just over here clinging to my ship with every fiber of my being. (I am not defeated, I actually think they were left in a really interesting place, with cards on the table for both of them, even if Gwen's love life just became even MORE complicated.) But otherwise, I really liked this! Nice personal development for Iris, solid mystery, and Gwen finally is partially free and her evil FIL was less than odious. I like all of those things.
August 21, 2023
3.5/5, but I think this was the best of the series for me so rounding up.
Very, very glad to see Gwen gain some of her freedom back. I really like where the book left her because I think she's finally in a place where she can start to process what's happened to her in the past few years. I thought the mystery was good here, and I enjoyed how it all worked together. I'd like to see Professor Remagen back when the time is right for him. As always, the highlight for me in this series is the friendship between Gwen and Iris. I don't really know what to make of where Iris is at this point. She fascinates me, but I also just cannot get into her relationship with Archie.
Very, very glad to see Gwen gain some of her freedom back. I really like where the book left her because I think she's finally in a place where she can start to process what's happened to her in the past few years. I thought the mystery was good here, and I enjoyed how it all worked together. I'd like to see Professor Remagen back when the time is right for him. As always, the highlight for me in this series is the friendship between Gwen and Iris. I don't really know what to make of where Iris is at this point. She fascinates me, but I also just cannot get into her relationship with Archie.
January 5, 2023
This is the fifth installment in the Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery series. This series is one that can be read as stand-alone – or in order.
Sparks & Bainbridge are matchmakers, yet they can’t quite figure out their personal lives. Each of them is dealing with some traumas that make it difficult for them to pair off. In this installment, a client is dying and looking for a suitable replacement, so her widow is left with love.
I enjoyed the mental health aspect of this book. It highlights how mental health was treated in the past, and it allowed me to reflect on how far we have come. The character development was well done, and if you have read the previous installments, you will appreciate the nuances mentioned. The atmosphere was done well, and it made you feel like you were right there with them in post-war London.
If you’re looking for an atmospheric mystery, then check this one out July 25th! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, @stmartinspress, the author, and @netgalley for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for this honest review
Sparks & Bainbridge are matchmakers, yet they can’t quite figure out their personal lives. Each of them is dealing with some traumas that make it difficult for them to pair off. In this installment, a client is dying and looking for a suitable replacement, so her widow is left with love.
I enjoyed the mental health aspect of this book. It highlights how mental health was treated in the past, and it allowed me to reflect on how far we have come. The character development was well done, and if you have read the previous installments, you will appreciate the nuances mentioned. The atmosphere was done well, and it made you feel like you were right there with them in post-war London.
If you’re looking for an atmospheric mystery, then check this one out July 25th! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, @stmartinspress, the author, and @netgalley for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for this honest review
August 6, 2023
Montclair’s Sparks and Bainbridge remains one of my favourite mystery series with this latest addition, The Lady From Burma. I expect Sparks and Bainbridge to pale and stale, to wane, but it remains as fresh and engaging as the first, The Right Sort of a Man.
The Lady From Burma sees one-half of my favourite amateur sleuths, aristocratic Gwen Bainbridge, get a good dose of vindication while Gwen and Iris (Sparks)’s love lives take peculiar twists and turns. I don’t know where Montclair is going, but wherever it is, I’ll follow. Oh yes, there are some murders too; the publisher’s blurb will help with that:
In the immediate post-war days of London, two unlikely partners have undertaken an even more unlikely, if necessary, business venture – The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. The two partners are Miss Iris Sparks, a woman with a dangerous – and never discussed – past in British intelligence and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a war widow with a young son entangled in a complicated aristocratic family. Mostly their clients are people trying to start (or restart) their lives in this much-changed world, but their new client is something different. A happily married woman has come to them to find a new wife for her husband. Dying of cancer, she wants the two to make sure her entomologist, academic husband finds someone new once she passes.
Shortly thereafter, she’s found dead in Epping Forest, in what appears to be a suicide. But that doesn’t make sense to either Sparks or Bainbridge. At the same time, Bainbridge is attempting to regain legal control of her life, opposed by the conservator who has been managing her assets – perhaps not always in her best interest. When that conservator is found dead, Bainbridge herself is one of the prime suspects. Attempting to make sense of two deaths at once, to protect themselves and their clients, the redoubtable owners of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau are once again on the case.
If you’re looking for a focussed mystery, you won’t find it in The Lady From Burma, at least not until all the seemingly disparate threads are brought together and their connections are revealed. The premise is sad, but genius: Mrs. Remagen’s tragic story, singular and original, launches Gwen and Iris’s latest mission. For missions they are, Gwen and Iris aren’t about finding the “answer” to a mystery-puzzle. Like their matchmaking business, which heals hearts too long neglected during war, their involvement in murder investigations is about bringing justice, redressing wrong, and finding peace for those left in a murder’s wake. Certainly, whether finding matches, finding murderers, or finding lovers, Gwen and Iris’s own lives are anything but peaceful. Much to the reader’s pleasure.
In this particular case, their lives are embroiled in Mrs. Remagen’s sad story. The war too is ever present: how it has touched the lives of everyone, how it has changed them, and how difficult it is to reestablish normality and peace of mind. Sparks’s intelligence service past makes her flippantly vulnerable, full of cynical, uncaring bravado, which is, as these cases prove, not true at all. Gwen is mourning her husband, Ronnie, whose loss caused her to suffer a mental collapse and has put her freedom and assets under the “conservator”, a thread established in book 1 and continued in subsequent volumes.
In society’s eyes, Gwen and Iris are mad, bad, and dangerous to know (to borrow from Lady Caroline Lamb). In actuality and for those who know and love them (my favourites, Gwen’s butler Percival and Iris’s friend, Salvatore “Sally” Danielli), they are piercingly intelligent, capable of great love and loyalty, and life-savers. They can’t save Mrs. Remagen, and couldn’t have even if she wasn’t murdered, but they can help a great new character, PC Hugh Quinton, find her murderer. More than the sleuthing and various love interests, Sparks and Bainbridge are about friendship. How they help and support each other; their banter and affection, their understanding of how the war broke them and what the other needs to heal, are what make this a great series. In this particular volume, it looks like there are new horizons for Gwen and Iris and I can’t wait for their next match-making, sleuthing mission. Miss Austen would have loved Montclair’s vulnerable, sharp woman. With her, we agree The Lady From Burma possesses “no charm equal to tenderness of heart,” Emma.
Allison Montclair’s The Lady From Burma is published by Minotaur Books. It was released on July 25th. (If you haven’t read the previous volumes, start at the beginning and make your way to The Lady From Burma. You would enjoy the overarching narrative ARC that makes Sparks and Bainbridge who they are.) Please note I received an e-ARC from Minotaur Books, via Netgalley, for the purpose of writing this review. This does not impede the free expression of my opinion.
The Lady From Burma sees one-half of my favourite amateur sleuths, aristocratic Gwen Bainbridge, get a good dose of vindication while Gwen and Iris (Sparks)’s love lives take peculiar twists and turns. I don’t know where Montclair is going, but wherever it is, I’ll follow. Oh yes, there are some murders too; the publisher’s blurb will help with that:
In the immediate post-war days of London, two unlikely partners have undertaken an even more unlikely, if necessary, business venture – The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. The two partners are Miss Iris Sparks, a woman with a dangerous – and never discussed – past in British intelligence and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a war widow with a young son entangled in a complicated aristocratic family. Mostly their clients are people trying to start (or restart) their lives in this much-changed world, but their new client is something different. A happily married woman has come to them to find a new wife for her husband. Dying of cancer, she wants the two to make sure her entomologist, academic husband finds someone new once she passes.
Shortly thereafter, she’s found dead in Epping Forest, in what appears to be a suicide. But that doesn’t make sense to either Sparks or Bainbridge. At the same time, Bainbridge is attempting to regain legal control of her life, opposed by the conservator who has been managing her assets – perhaps not always in her best interest. When that conservator is found dead, Bainbridge herself is one of the prime suspects. Attempting to make sense of two deaths at once, to protect themselves and their clients, the redoubtable owners of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau are once again on the case.
If you’re looking for a focussed mystery, you won’t find it in The Lady From Burma, at least not until all the seemingly disparate threads are brought together and their connections are revealed. The premise is sad, but genius: Mrs. Remagen’s tragic story, singular and original, launches Gwen and Iris’s latest mission. For missions they are, Gwen and Iris aren’t about finding the “answer” to a mystery-puzzle. Like their matchmaking business, which heals hearts too long neglected during war, their involvement in murder investigations is about bringing justice, redressing wrong, and finding peace for those left in a murder’s wake. Certainly, whether finding matches, finding murderers, or finding lovers, Gwen and Iris’s own lives are anything but peaceful. Much to the reader’s pleasure.
In this particular case, their lives are embroiled in Mrs. Remagen’s sad story. The war too is ever present: how it has touched the lives of everyone, how it has changed them, and how difficult it is to reestablish normality and peace of mind. Sparks’s intelligence service past makes her flippantly vulnerable, full of cynical, uncaring bravado, which is, as these cases prove, not true at all. Gwen is mourning her husband, Ronnie, whose loss caused her to suffer a mental collapse and has put her freedom and assets under the “conservator”, a thread established in book 1 and continued in subsequent volumes.
In society’s eyes, Gwen and Iris are mad, bad, and dangerous to know (to borrow from Lady Caroline Lamb). In actuality and for those who know and love them (my favourites, Gwen’s butler Percival and Iris’s friend, Salvatore “Sally” Danielli), they are piercingly intelligent, capable of great love and loyalty, and life-savers. They can’t save Mrs. Remagen, and couldn’t have even if she wasn’t murdered, but they can help a great new character, PC Hugh Quinton, find her murderer. More than the sleuthing and various love interests, Sparks and Bainbridge are about friendship. How they help and support each other; their banter and affection, their understanding of how the war broke them and what the other needs to heal, are what make this a great series. In this particular volume, it looks like there are new horizons for Gwen and Iris and I can’t wait for their next match-making, sleuthing mission. Miss Austen would have loved Montclair’s vulnerable, sharp woman. With her, we agree The Lady From Burma possesses “no charm equal to tenderness of heart,” Emma.
Allison Montclair’s The Lady From Burma is published by Minotaur Books. It was released on July 25th. (If you haven’t read the previous volumes, start at the beginning and make your way to The Lady From Burma. You would enjoy the overarching narrative ARC that makes Sparks and Bainbridge who they are.) Please note I received an e-ARC from Minotaur Books, via Netgalley, for the purpose of writing this review. This does not impede the free expression of my opinion.
December 24, 2022
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.
I read the first in this series when it came out, and then decided not to read the second because it featured Elizabeth II as a character, and that struck me as weird. I planned to read nos. 3 and 4 before this one, but time got away with me, and in the end I just read no. 5.. I enjoyed it very much, and although I think it would have been better to read them in order, it was fine as a standalone. Here Iris and Gwen are trying to find matches for clients while Gwen attempts to have her lunacy ('correct' medical term at the time) declared at an end. This thread of the story was far more interesting than that of the poor Lady from Burma. The writing is entertaining and amusing and it is a quick read.
Recommended. Now for instalment no. 3....
I read the first in this series when it came out, and then decided not to read the second because it featured Elizabeth II as a character, and that struck me as weird. I planned to read nos. 3 and 4 before this one, but time got away with me, and in the end I just read no. 5.. I enjoyed it very much, and although I think it would have been better to read them in order, it was fine as a standalone. Here Iris and Gwen are trying to find matches for clients while Gwen attempts to have her lunacy ('correct' medical term at the time) declared at an end. This thread of the story was far more interesting than that of the poor Lady from Burma. The writing is entertaining and amusing and it is a quick read.
Recommended. Now for instalment no. 3....
October 17, 2024
I love this series so much. The set up may seem silly at first, but there is so much going on in the minds and hearts of with both Gwen and Iris. They are both trying to recover from enormous pain and sorrows caused by WW2, but have such pluck and spirit. The books are fun, ultimately uplifting and full of fascinating history bits. They just get better and better. I did listen to some of the chapters and really missed the previous narration. This one was ok, but I was already accustomed to the ladies, voices from the first 4 books.
August 2, 2023
Themes: Post-WWII Life in London, Friendship, Women Getting S*** Done!, Entomology
I have zero self-control. Zilch. Nada. I love this series so much and barely made it a week after its pub date to not only start BUT FINISH IT! The dialogue between Gwen and Sparks is just perfect, it honestly plays more like a TV show than a novel. I cannot stop raving about this series, it’s an auto-preorder for me as soon as I hear another book is coming (I may or may not have an active Google Alert for this author and “Sparks & Bainbridge” 🤓😉) PICK PICK PICK PICK PICK PICK!!!
I have zero self-control. Zilch. Nada. I love this series so much and barely made it a week after its pub date to not only start BUT FINISH IT! The dialogue between Gwen and Sparks is just perfect, it honestly plays more like a TV show than a novel. I cannot stop raving about this series, it’s an auto-preorder for me as soon as I hear another book is coming (I may or may not have an active Google Alert for this author and “Sparks & Bainbridge” 🤓😉) PICK PICK PICK PICK PICK PICK!!!
August 17, 2023
My e-library only has the audio version of the first and the fifth of this series on offer. And they don‘t seem available to buy in my country. Too bad. But even though I missed out on books two, three and four, I enjoyed this one as much as the first. I do get a bit confused about the romance aspect, as this is very clearly mystery, not romance. But there were some very romantic (if sad) aspects to the story this time. I did some crying. Feel a kinship to Gwen, although her reasons are better.
March 12, 2024
I keep returning to this series for its wonderful dialogue and interesting mysteries, but more importantly, the friendship between the two leads Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge.
In this fifth instalment, that friendship is tested; Gwen's case is up before the Lunacy Court, and she is desperate to regain her legal and financial rights over hers and her son’s lives. She's been told in no uncertain terms by her lawyer and psychiatrist that she must stay away from murder investigations as her investigating will only be seen as a lingering instability in her character. When two murders occur, Gwen wants no part in solving them, leaving Iris to manage on her own.
The first murder is of their new client, Mrs. Remagen, who was dying of cancer. The woman had contracted the Right Sort Marriage Bureau to find her soon to be alone entomologist husband a new wife. Iris and Gwen are initially surprised, as they've never had to deal with a request like this before. After details are agreed upon, the two set to work, but are very soon after shocked when they learn their new client has committed suicide. The Right Sort owners know this makes no sense, based on their understanding of their client.
Gwen decides to meet with the conservator in charge of her finances, and to accept an invitation from a member of the Bainbridge corporation’s Board. The conservator is dismissive of Gwen, and is shocked when he sees her at the Board meeting, where, because of her father-in-law’s absence from the day-to-day running of the company while he recovers from his injury (previous book), several Board members attempt to snatch control of the company. One of the conspirators is Gwen’s conservator, and Gwen averts the takeover, but decides to become more familiar with the company's and her own finances, which eventually sends her in a fury to her conservator's office. Sometime that same day, her conservator is murdered, and Gwen is chief suspect.
Meanwhile Sparks is investigating their client’s death, and attending a talk about insects at the museum so she can suss out the widower for a possible motive. She quickly eliminates him as a suspect, and meets a young female insect researcher who seems interested in the Right Sort finding her a possible partner. Sparks also meets a smart young constable, Hugh Quinton, who also feels that the suicide is suspicious.
When it’s clear Gwen cannot get away from murder, and realizes she wants no negativity between her and Sparks, she and Iris begin working together on figuring out both murders. The two cases are complex, with many things going on but the author manages to keep things clear and the pacing moving well.
The women's digging eventually unearths lies, legal and financial mismanagement, murder, and just generally terrible behaviour. They also need to dig deep emotionally, as aspects of the case are causing much reflection into who they are and what they want.
I was surprised that Iris was such an insect admirer, but every little new detail we learn about the very secretive Sparks is always welcome.
My complete enjoyment of this charming series continues, as this instalment was a very satisfying journey for both women, as they realize just how much they really do need each other emotionally and professionally.
Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
In this fifth instalment, that friendship is tested; Gwen's case is up before the Lunacy Court, and she is desperate to regain her legal and financial rights over hers and her son’s lives. She's been told in no uncertain terms by her lawyer and psychiatrist that she must stay away from murder investigations as her investigating will only be seen as a lingering instability in her character. When two murders occur, Gwen wants no part in solving them, leaving Iris to manage on her own.
The first murder is of their new client, Mrs. Remagen, who was dying of cancer. The woman had contracted the Right Sort Marriage Bureau to find her soon to be alone entomologist husband a new wife. Iris and Gwen are initially surprised, as they've never had to deal with a request like this before. After details are agreed upon, the two set to work, but are very soon after shocked when they learn their new client has committed suicide. The Right Sort owners know this makes no sense, based on their understanding of their client.
Gwen decides to meet with the conservator in charge of her finances, and to accept an invitation from a member of the Bainbridge corporation’s Board. The conservator is dismissive of Gwen, and is shocked when he sees her at the Board meeting, where, because of her father-in-law’s absence from the day-to-day running of the company while he recovers from his injury (previous book), several Board members attempt to snatch control of the company. One of the conspirators is Gwen’s conservator, and Gwen averts the takeover, but decides to become more familiar with the company's and her own finances, which eventually sends her in a fury to her conservator's office. Sometime that same day, her conservator is murdered, and Gwen is chief suspect.
Meanwhile Sparks is investigating their client’s death, and attending a talk about insects at the museum so she can suss out the widower for a possible motive. She quickly eliminates him as a suspect, and meets a young female insect researcher who seems interested in the Right Sort finding her a possible partner. Sparks also meets a smart young constable, Hugh Quinton, who also feels that the suicide is suspicious.
When it’s clear Gwen cannot get away from murder, and realizes she wants no negativity between her and Sparks, she and Iris begin working together on figuring out both murders. The two cases are complex, with many things going on but the author manages to keep things clear and the pacing moving well.
The women's digging eventually unearths lies, legal and financial mismanagement, murder, and just generally terrible behaviour. They also need to dig deep emotionally, as aspects of the case are causing much reflection into who they are and what they want.
I was surprised that Iris was such an insect admirer, but every little new detail we learn about the very secretive Sparks is always welcome.
My complete enjoyment of this charming series continues, as this instalment was a very satisfying journey for both women, as they realize just how much they really do need each other emotionally and professionally.
Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
July 21, 2023
Once again, Allison Montclair [pseudonym of Alan Gordon] has a winner in the newest Sparks and Bainbridge historical mystery, The Lady from Burma. The various clients who walk through the doors of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau keep readers firmly in tune with post-World War II London and all the types of people who are trying to put their lives back together.
The solutions to the deaths of the client and the conservator certainly kept me guessing, but I was even more interested in Gwen Bainbridge's fight to regain legal control of her life. Gwen basically came unglued when her husband was killed in the war, and the depth of her grief caused her husband's aristocratic family to take away custody of her young son and to have her committed to a mental institution. It's been an uphill battle, but it is obvious to all the readers of this series that it's more than time for Gwen to be back in charge. Her relationship with her in-laws has evolved slowly, and she's made the effort to learn how to deal with her income once she has it in her own control. What's maddening is her reaction-- in court and directly afterward-- to the machinations of her conservator. I wanted to give her a little shake and yell, "Snap out of it!" Not that I've fallen under the spell of these characters or anything...
An absorbing mystery, the engrossing lives of the two main characters, a pitch-perfect setting, and witty dialogue that absolutely sparkles. I love this series and hope that it continues for a good long time. If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge, I suggest you begin at the beginning with The Right Sort of Man. These two very different women make quite a formidable team.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
The solutions to the deaths of the client and the conservator certainly kept me guessing, but I was even more interested in Gwen Bainbridge's fight to regain legal control of her life. Gwen basically came unglued when her husband was killed in the war, and the depth of her grief caused her husband's aristocratic family to take away custody of her young son and to have her committed to a mental institution. It's been an uphill battle, but it is obvious to all the readers of this series that it's more than time for Gwen to be back in charge. Her relationship with her in-laws has evolved slowly, and she's made the effort to learn how to deal with her income once she has it in her own control. What's maddening is her reaction-- in court and directly afterward-- to the machinations of her conservator. I wanted to give her a little shake and yell, "Snap out of it!" Not that I've fallen under the spell of these characters or anything...
An absorbing mystery, the engrossing lives of the two main characters, a pitch-perfect setting, and witty dialogue that absolutely sparkles. I love this series and hope that it continues for a good long time. If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge, I suggest you begin at the beginning with The Right Sort of Man. These two very different women make quite a formidable team.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
January 15, 2023
I thank the author, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur and NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC.
The Sparks & Bainbridge series has caught my fancy. This installment made me happy, especially after a recent run of books that were disappointing. It’s a good way to start the new year.
The plot was satisfying, the historical period is depicted well, and the characters continue to develop. I learned about the Lunacy Laws, which were absolutely horrifying. Ms. Montclair keeps us guessing about the intricate details of the fraud and murder case. Even though one culprit is easy to pinpoint, the trail kept leading us in new directions.
I’ve been thinking about how a long running series can be successful. In this case, we are learning more about the main characters in each volume, hearing more of their thought process. They got through WWII,, and are positive about their future even while carrying the wounds of their different experiences. The friendship between Iris and Gwen continues to develop, and I love their snappy dialogue as well as their deep affection for one another. Gwen continues to grow and stand up for herself, in both good and bad ways, but she is learning. Iris is more self-confident and is becoming a bit more open to deeper relationships.
Another way in which Ms. Montclair builds the series is her introduction of new characters. I like the old friends like Sally and Archie, and I hope that some of the new gentlemen can return in future stories. Even Harold is starting to grow on me!
I’m giving this one 5 stars for its entertainment value and the happy return of old friends.
The Sparks & Bainbridge series has caught my fancy. This installment made me happy, especially after a recent run of books that were disappointing. It’s a good way to start the new year.
The plot was satisfying, the historical period is depicted well, and the characters continue to develop. I learned about the Lunacy Laws, which were absolutely horrifying. Ms. Montclair keeps us guessing about the intricate details of the fraud and murder case. Even though one culprit is easy to pinpoint, the trail kept leading us in new directions.
I’ve been thinking about how a long running series can be successful. In this case, we are learning more about the main characters in each volume, hearing more of their thought process. They got through WWII,, and are positive about their future even while carrying the wounds of their different experiences. The friendship between Iris and Gwen continues to develop, and I love their snappy dialogue as well as their deep affection for one another. Gwen continues to grow and stand up for herself, in both good and bad ways, but she is learning. Iris is more self-confident and is becoming a bit more open to deeper relationships.
Another way in which Ms. Montclair builds the series is her introduction of new characters. I like the old friends like Sally and Archie, and I hope that some of the new gentlemen can return in future stories. Even Harold is starting to grow on me!
I’m giving this one 5 stars for its entertainment value and the happy return of old friends.
June 10, 2023
Gwen may finally be able to regain her son and her independence. Iris may finally be able to lay some of her ghosts to rest. But then, a new client for their marriage bureau dies, and they must figure out why, and whether it is related to the death of the conservator for Gwen's case. Investigating could lose Gwen everything she's been working for, but so could leaving it to the police.
This series is incredible. I love stories written in WWII/Austerity England, and I'm highly invested in Gwen and Iris and their success. Each has grown since the first book, and it's fascinating how they've carved out their places in a time that was not easy or welcoming to businesswomen. To make things even harder, Gwen has the stigma of having been formerly committed to a mental institution. Iris is haunted b the things she did during the war. They are from completely different walks of life, but their friendship is so strong.
You might figure out the who and the why before the end of the book, but that doesn't matter. Sometimes, a mystery overwhelms the story and the characters, or the backstory of the characters makes the mystery more of an afterthought. That's never the case in one of Montclair's books. The story is so deftly woven, with threads from past and present combining to make a solid work, yet leaving room for future growth.
This is some of the finest mystery writing out there, and I hope the series continues at least until Gwen and Iris retire.
4.75/5.0 stars - highly recommended!
I received an advance copy from Minotaur Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
This series is incredible. I love stories written in WWII/Austerity England, and I'm highly invested in Gwen and Iris and their success. Each has grown since the first book, and it's fascinating how they've carved out their places in a time that was not easy or welcoming to businesswomen. To make things even harder, Gwen has the stigma of having been formerly committed to a mental institution. Iris is haunted b the things she did during the war. They are from completely different walks of life, but their friendship is so strong.
You might figure out the who and the why before the end of the book, but that doesn't matter. Sometimes, a mystery overwhelms the story and the characters, or the backstory of the characters makes the mystery more of an afterthought. That's never the case in one of Montclair's books. The story is so deftly woven, with threads from past and present combining to make a solid work, yet leaving room for future growth.
This is some of the finest mystery writing out there, and I hope the series continues at least until Gwen and Iris retire.
4.75/5.0 stars - highly recommended!
I received an advance copy from Minotaur Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
September 26, 2023
This is one of my favourite series'. I love everything about this!
The two main characters are absolutely delightful! Gwen and Iris are completely different people, with lives that are entirely different, and yet they make a smashing team. They work perfectly together and their unique strengths and weaknesses perfectly complement one another. Each of them is entirely likable in her own way, and I love both of them.
The plots the author continues to come up with for these characters are clever, intriguing, suspenseful and interesting. Well-constructed and well thought out. The pacing is perfect making each book an easy-reading but addictive story that I have a hard time putting down once I start reading the next Sparks & Bainbridge story. I hope the author has many more books planned because I will read as many as she will write!
The two main characters are absolutely delightful! Gwen and Iris are completely different people, with lives that are entirely different, and yet they make a smashing team. They work perfectly together and their unique strengths and weaknesses perfectly complement one another. Each of them is entirely likable in her own way, and I love both of them.
The plots the author continues to come up with for these characters are clever, intriguing, suspenseful and interesting. Well-constructed and well thought out. The pacing is perfect making each book an easy-reading but addictive story that I have a hard time putting down once I start reading the next Sparks & Bainbridge story. I hope the author has many more books planned because I will read as many as she will write!
February 3, 2023
Montclair’s period mystery was complex and satisfying. I loved the characters in this series and would willingly follow them on all their adventures.
Our heroines are smart, fearless ( seemingly a requisite in light historical mysteries), alluring ( another genre staple), but very good company all around.
Netgalley provided me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a candid review.
Our heroines are smart, fearless ( seemingly a requisite in light historical mysteries), alluring ( another genre staple), but very good company all around.
Netgalley provided me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a candid review.
August 5, 2023
This is such a fun series. Wonderful characters and good crimes. The Right Sort Marriage Bureau is an earlier form of Tinder, it seems.
Who knew there was a Lunacy Court in the 1940s? Iris and Gwen are stalwart friends and good business partners; and a dab hand at solving crime. They’re right in the middle of it.
I think we see another side of Iris in this book. The father-in-law seems to have come a long way from his earlier opinion of Gwen too.
Who knew there was a Lunacy Court in the 1940s? Iris and Gwen are stalwart friends and good business partners; and a dab hand at solving crime. They’re right in the middle of it.
I think we see another side of Iris in this book. The father-in-law seems to have come a long way from his earlier opinion of Gwen too.
December 30, 2023
The Lady from Burma by Allison Montclair is a London post-WWII mystery and is the 5th in a series. I love reading a historical fiction mystery and this one was fantastic! While it can be read as a standalone, I recommend to read the other books because of the wonderful back story. I thought it was engaging and enjoyed every moment of my read.
February 11, 2024
It was the title that got me. That and the fact that I needed a mystery. I had ordered a "serious" non fiction book from the library (about big pharma and its overbearing advertising presence). As is my custom when reading books on "heavy" subjects, I like to pair them with lighter fare. The Lady From Burma was perfect: early post WWII London, 2 women of opposite yet compatible talents, are proprietors of a match-making service, "The Right Sort Marriage Bureau". The prospect of adventure beyond the business model looms: a world of entomology, conservatorship challenges, business malfeasance, and 3 murders. The plot was intricate, the characters both edgy and elegant, the dialogue snappy, and the quest to solve the mysteries ever present. The author acknowledges that she assumes responsibility for the book's errors and that she has corrected all but one. She challenges the reader to discover the one she didn't, another mystery. Toward the end of the book, I noticed an incongruent element. While I have spotted typos in numerous books I have previously read, this item was more consequential. I am happy to claim/solve the error mystery. I trust that other readers have met this challenge and that future readers will do so. (Hint: a knowledge of history helps). This is a fun read!
August 4, 2023
Pub Day Book Feature: A Lady From Burma 🌺
⁉️: Do you enjoy the genre of historical fiction?
Post-WorldWar II fiction and memoirs often tend to be difficult to read, because of the stories that they share. Set in London, two unlikely novels partners have undertaken an interesting business venture - The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Miss Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a war widow to a young son with roots to a complicated aristocratic family. Most families are trying to reimagine their lives in post-war era.
One day, A happily married woman has come to them to find a new wife for her husband. Dying of cancer, she wants the two to make sure her entomologist, academic husband finds someone new once she passes.
Shortly thereafter, she's found dead in Epping Forest, in what appears to be a suicide. But that doesn't make sense to either Sparks or Bainbridge. At the same time, Bainbridge is attempting to regain legal control of her life, opposed by the conservator who has been managing her assets - perhaps not always in her best interest. When that conservator is found dead, Bainbridge herself is one of the prime suspects. Attempting to make sense of two deaths at once, to protect themselves and their clients, the redoubtable owners of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau are once again on the case.
Thank you @minotaur_books and Allison Montclair for the gifted copy!
#TheLadyFromBurma #AllisonMontclair #HistoricalFiction #MinotaurBooks
⁉️: Do you enjoy the genre of historical fiction?
Post-WorldWar II fiction and memoirs often tend to be difficult to read, because of the stories that they share. Set in London, two unlikely novels partners have undertaken an interesting business venture - The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Miss Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a war widow to a young son with roots to a complicated aristocratic family. Most families are trying to reimagine their lives in post-war era.
One day, A happily married woman has come to them to find a new wife for her husband. Dying of cancer, she wants the two to make sure her entomologist, academic husband finds someone new once she passes.
Shortly thereafter, she's found dead in Epping Forest, in what appears to be a suicide. But that doesn't make sense to either Sparks or Bainbridge. At the same time, Bainbridge is attempting to regain legal control of her life, opposed by the conservator who has been managing her assets - perhaps not always in her best interest. When that conservator is found dead, Bainbridge herself is one of the prime suspects. Attempting to make sense of two deaths at once, to protect themselves and their clients, the redoubtable owners of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau are once again on the case.
Thank you @minotaur_books and Allison Montclair for the gifted copy!
#TheLadyFromBurma #AllisonMontclair #HistoricalFiction #MinotaurBooks
September 19, 2023
Gwen Bainbridge is getting ready for the hearing that will free her from the taint of lunacy and ensure her custody of her young son, but she still must pay attention to business, namely finding a match for Mrs. Remagen, who is dying of cancer and wants to ensure that her husband is taken care of after she dies. When her body is found in Epping Forest--even after she's promised Gwen that she won't commit suicide, as she'd planned--both the local Constable and Gwen smell a rat. Mrs. Remagen was a wealthy woman, and though Professor Remagen was lecturing on beetles when his wife died, he's still the main suspect. In the meantime, one of Gwen's guardians decides to oppose her sanity petition, and she's in trouble when he's found murdered. Iris Sparks, her partner, is not idle through this, determined to help her friend in whatever way she can. Enjoyable.
June 1, 2023
This is fifth in a series is about the The Right Sort Marriage Bureau, a post war business that ends up entangled in murders as much matchmaking. The two partners are Iris Sparks, a woman with a never discussed past in British intelligence, and Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a war widow with a young son entangled in a complicated aristocratic family.
It’s better enjoyed in order. Mental health and sexism issues are in the forefront, as well as more character development for these two, who are quick witted, likable women who take charge. I found the pace a little slow. The murder investigation takes a backseat to the sanity status plot but I didn’t mind because I’m invested in Iris and Gwen.
3.5 stars. I received an arc from NetGalley
It’s better enjoyed in order. Mental health and sexism issues are in the forefront, as well as more character development for these two, who are quick witted, likable women who take charge. I found the pace a little slow. The murder investigation takes a backseat to the sanity status plot but I didn’t mind because I’m invested in Iris and Gwen.
3.5 stars. I received an arc from NetGalley
July 28, 2023
The course of true love never does run smooth, and the business of finding it even less so, especially when Sparks & Bainbridge mix the business of romance with the business of murder.
They also say that money is the root of all evil, and that every woman needs roots. Gwen Bainbridge has money – she’s just not permitted to spend it or control it or act independently about it or pretty much anything else without the permission of the legal minder assigned to her by the Court of Lunacy. An assignment that Gwen and her psychiatrist believe that she is ready to shuck off two years after her official diagnosis.
Gwen attempted suicide upon learning of the death of her husband at Monte Cassino during the late war. So her wealthy father-in-law had her committed and her rights stripped away, resigning her to the treatments of the day which were barbaric in the extreme both medically and legally.
One of the overarching plots in this series has been about Gwen’s quest to regain her independence as well as custody of her son, and get both of them out from under the various thumbs they are forced to endure.
Her in-laws at least meant well, even if their methods for going about it were terrible. The motives of the man in charge of her fate, her ‘Committee’ in the legal parlance of the day, turn out to be even more terrible than she originally believed.
But Gwen is intimately acquainted with the circumstances that might drive someone to suicide, so, when a client presents themselves at the Right Sort Marriage Bureau, intending to contract for a search for her soon-to-be-widower, Gwen is suspicious that Adele Remagen is planning to take her own life before cancer takes it for her.
And Gwen is having none of it. To the point where she refuses to take the rather unusual contract unless Mrs. Remagen promises not to end her life prematurely. A promise the dying woman gives.
So it’s a surprise to learn that Adele Remagen seems to have committed suicide after all. Unless the suspicions of the young constable who found her body are to be taken into more account than his supervisor is willing to allow.
Which of course, both Sparks & Bainbridge certainly are. That Mrs. Remagen’s death is going to tie itself neatly if not tidily into Gwen’s pursuit of her independence is not something that either Sparks or Bainbridge see anywhere on the horizon, but it is looming there all the same.
The question is whether Gwen can get out from under everything else that is looming over her before it’s too late.
Escape Rating A: The Lady from Burma is a story about closings and openings. Mrs. Adele Remagen’s life is closing, and the top item on her ‘to-do’ list before she dies is to make sure that her beloved husband opens himself back up to the world after she’s gone.
Gwen Bainbridge hopes that her life is opening back up. She has high hopes that her petition for independence from the Court of Lunacy will be granted and that her life will become her own, in many ways for the very first time. And it’s only on the cusp of that longed-for change that she realizes that she never really closed out the last chapter of her life and that she needs to do that before she can start again, as the person she is now.
Iris Sparks is looking at both sides of the equation. Acknowledging that she has opened her heart to gangster Archie Spelling, and that being part of some level of commitment to a relationship doesn’t have to mean the loss of her hard-won independence.
In the midst of all their personal issues, Sparks & Bainbridge have learned that they are meeting on a common platform that neither expected when the series opened. Iris Sparks has always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie, as evidenced by her secret work during WW2. But Gwen Bainbridge, who has always played it safe, has come out of her experience with a yen to experience all that life has to offer – including the dangerous and deadly parts. She’s gotten just as addicted as Sparks to the rush of throwing herself into danger and solving the case – even if she’s still struggling a bit with admitting that to herself.
Because this case has brought out both the best and the worst of her, as she has to fight her corner for her freedom, and prove to the men who want to control her that she is both utterly sane and totally committed to standing on her own two feet and defying them when they try to contain her. A combination of positions that threatens to put her right back in the sanatorium – not because she’s wrong but because she’s right.
And in the middle of their personal sturm und drang, of which there is plenty on all sides, there’s the search for justice for Adele Remagen, and the grief of love lost that may never be found again.
Sparks & Bainbridge are fascinating protagonists. They come from such opposite backgrounds, have such different responses to both their work AND the murder-y messes they find themselves in, and yet have found a path to sisterhood that surprises, delights and supports them both. I found a reading ‘partnership’, so to speak, with them in their first outing, The Right Sort of Man, and I enjoy both following their journey AND watching them make matches as they solve murders. The Lady from Burma was another captivating read about this intrepid duo, so I’m already looking forward to their next adventure!
Originally published at Reading Reality
They also say that money is the root of all evil, and that every woman needs roots. Gwen Bainbridge has money – she’s just not permitted to spend it or control it or act independently about it or pretty much anything else without the permission of the legal minder assigned to her by the Court of Lunacy. An assignment that Gwen and her psychiatrist believe that she is ready to shuck off two years after her official diagnosis.
Gwen attempted suicide upon learning of the death of her husband at Monte Cassino during the late war. So her wealthy father-in-law had her committed and her rights stripped away, resigning her to the treatments of the day which were barbaric in the extreme both medically and legally.
One of the overarching plots in this series has been about Gwen’s quest to regain her independence as well as custody of her son, and get both of them out from under the various thumbs they are forced to endure.
Her in-laws at least meant well, even if their methods for going about it were terrible. The motives of the man in charge of her fate, her ‘Committee’ in the legal parlance of the day, turn out to be even more terrible than she originally believed.
But Gwen is intimately acquainted with the circumstances that might drive someone to suicide, so, when a client presents themselves at the Right Sort Marriage Bureau, intending to contract for a search for her soon-to-be-widower, Gwen is suspicious that Adele Remagen is planning to take her own life before cancer takes it for her.
And Gwen is having none of it. To the point where she refuses to take the rather unusual contract unless Mrs. Remagen promises not to end her life prematurely. A promise the dying woman gives.
So it’s a surprise to learn that Adele Remagen seems to have committed suicide after all. Unless the suspicions of the young constable who found her body are to be taken into more account than his supervisor is willing to allow.
Which of course, both Sparks & Bainbridge certainly are. That Mrs. Remagen’s death is going to tie itself neatly if not tidily into Gwen’s pursuit of her independence is not something that either Sparks or Bainbridge see anywhere on the horizon, but it is looming there all the same.
The question is whether Gwen can get out from under everything else that is looming over her before it’s too late.
Escape Rating A: The Lady from Burma is a story about closings and openings. Mrs. Adele Remagen’s life is closing, and the top item on her ‘to-do’ list before she dies is to make sure that her beloved husband opens himself back up to the world after she’s gone.
Gwen Bainbridge hopes that her life is opening back up. She has high hopes that her petition for independence from the Court of Lunacy will be granted and that her life will become her own, in many ways for the very first time. And it’s only on the cusp of that longed-for change that she realizes that she never really closed out the last chapter of her life and that she needs to do that before she can start again, as the person she is now.
Iris Sparks is looking at both sides of the equation. Acknowledging that she has opened her heart to gangster Archie Spelling, and that being part of some level of commitment to a relationship doesn’t have to mean the loss of her hard-won independence.
In the midst of all their personal issues, Sparks & Bainbridge have learned that they are meeting on a common platform that neither expected when the series opened. Iris Sparks has always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie, as evidenced by her secret work during WW2. But Gwen Bainbridge, who has always played it safe, has come out of her experience with a yen to experience all that life has to offer – including the dangerous and deadly parts. She’s gotten just as addicted as Sparks to the rush of throwing herself into danger and solving the case – even if she’s still struggling a bit with admitting that to herself.
Because this case has brought out both the best and the worst of her, as she has to fight her corner for her freedom, and prove to the men who want to control her that she is both utterly sane and totally committed to standing on her own two feet and defying them when they try to contain her. A combination of positions that threatens to put her right back in the sanatorium – not because she’s wrong but because she’s right.
And in the middle of their personal sturm und drang, of which there is plenty on all sides, there’s the search for justice for Adele Remagen, and the grief of love lost that may never be found again.
Sparks & Bainbridge are fascinating protagonists. They come from such opposite backgrounds, have such different responses to both their work AND the murder-y messes they find themselves in, and yet have found a path to sisterhood that surprises, delights and supports them both. I found a reading ‘partnership’, so to speak, with them in their first outing, The Right Sort of Man, and I enjoy both following their journey AND watching them make matches as they solve murders. The Lady from Burma was another captivating read about this intrepid duo, so I’m already looking forward to their next adventure!
Originally published at Reading Reality
August 4, 2023
This is a marvelous series, though I've actually only read three of the five. Iris and Gwen are a dynamic pair, each a distinct personality and different in their backgrounds and ways. Their business, finding mates for clients, leads them into investigating crimes, which they are most adept at solving. But behind their business, which they astutely attend to, and their investigations at which they are enormously successful, there are stories of the personal lives that keep these books serious and humane. These novels may look like cozies on the surface, but they are really a step beyond.
October 9, 2023
I love this series, and this one did not fail! The mystery was interesting, the side plot of Gwen's efforts to regain her "sane" status moved along nicely, and the end left me eager for the next book. My two quibbles: the title seems inaccurate, though it sounds enticing, and Gwen's reckless outburst at just the wrong time seemed--should I say it?--crazy and unlikely, though I can see how it added to the plot.
July 5, 2023
This is the 5th installment in the Sparks and Bainbridge Mystery series. The setting is post WWII in London. Main characters, Iris and Gwen, run a marriage bureau while also solving mysteries in their spare time.
Always a very entertaining, witty and well paced historical story.
Thank you for my review copy
@minotaur_books
#minotaurinfluencers
#allisonmontclair
Always a very entertaining, witty and well paced historical story.
Thank you for my review copy
@minotaur_books
#minotaurinfluencers
#allisonmontclair
April 14, 2024
First book I have read by this author and it was enjoyable. The two protagonists operate a marriage bureau in the 1930’s. They are both quirky and women not accepting the defined roles of women in that era. There matchmaking service is a fun twist on the detective format and leads to some light hearted moments. Looking forward to another read by this author.
October 20, 2023
it took me a while to figure out who was the lady from Burma. But I get it now. I enjoyed this book. If you like British mysteries, this book is for you I learned some things I got some laughs and there were some sad moments too.(I don’t cry.). Give it a try.
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